Confederate Battery

Ashland (VA) Artillery

"Woolfolk's Battery"
Organized: Hanover County, Va.; mustered in 8/14/1861
Disbanded/Mustered out: Appomattox Courthouse, VA 4/9/1865

Commanding Officer on the Sharpsburg Campaign:
Capt. Pichegru Woolfolk, Jr.

Arms:
2 10-pdr. Parrott
1 12-pdr. howitzer

12-lb Howitzer was of iron.

1 6-pdr. Gun

This Battery's Chain of Command:
  Army - Army of Northern Virginia
  Corps - Longstreet's Command
  Division - Longstreet's Corps Artillery
  Brigade - 2nd Battalion, Longstreet's Corps Artillery

On the Sharpsburg Campaign

A 6-lb. Smoothbore piece was attached to the Battery for the battle: it was a section from Fleet's (Middlesex VA) Battery.

The action commenced about 3 a.m. on the morning of the 17th, between the skirmishers. Woolfolk's, Parker's, and Rhett's batteries were placed in position in front of the church, on the right of the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown pike, and opened on the enemy at daylight. These batteries were compelled to fire over our infantry, but fired with effect. A continuous fire was kept up until about 8.15 a.m., when the enemy gave way and our firing ceased as our infantry followed in pursuit.

The batteries above mentioned while engaged were exposed to an enfilade fire of about twenty rifle guns from across the Antietam, two batteries in their front, and the fire of the infantry of the enemy, most of the time about 500 yards distant. They suffered very heavily and had exhausted most of their ammunition ...

About this time I ordered Rhett's battery to the rear for ammunition, and Parker's and Woolfolk's batteries to move slightly to the rear to refit, many horses and men being killed. They could only move the pieces by leaving portions of the caissons, so many of the horses had been disabled.

Map Showing this Unit

Detail Map #3: Mansfield's Twelfth Corps Attacks into Miller's Cornfield (7-9 am)

Battlefield Tablets for this Unit

Tablet #305: Reserve Artillery, Longstreet's Command - 15 Sep, 8 AM to 16 Sep, 6 AM
Tablet #306: Reserve Artillery, Longstreet's Command - 17 Sep, 5 AM to 17 Sep, 3 PM

References & Notes

The battery armament at Sharpsburg from Artillery Hell.1 The quote above from Colonel S.D. Lee's Report. Details from a brief history of the Ashland Artillery - posted online by Robert H. Moore, II.